V.V. Lakshminarayana is JSP’s choice for Vizag LS seat

Former CBI joint director V.V. Lakshminarayana will fight for the Vizag LS seat on the Jana Sena Party (JSP) ticket. Lakshminarayana will be fighting Sri Bharat from Telugu Desam Party (TDP) and M.V.V. Satyanarayana from YSR Congress Party. The IPS officer, who probed several high-profile cases like the quid pro quo scam involving the Opposition leader Y.S. Jagan and the Obulapuram mining case, took voluntary retirement to take plunge into politics.

Initially, there was speculation that he would join the BJP, then it was the TDP and he finally gave nod to the JSP. Meanwhile, Pawan Kalyan will contest from two Assembly segments, Bhimavaram in West Godavari, his native place and Gajuwaka in Visakhapatnam district.

Lakshminarayana came to limelight when the CBI investigated 11 cases of alleged money laundering and other economic offences involving the Opposition leader Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy. This happened after the death of the his father and former CM Y.S. Rajasrkhara Reddy in a chopper crash. Then Jagan differed with the Congress and launched the YSR Congress. He accused the TD and Congress of foisting cases against him only to finish his political career.

After a year, he quit his job to get to know people’s problems. There was speculation that he would float his own party and then that he would join different political parties at different points of time. Earlier this month, there were reports in the media that he would join the TD when the YSR Congress leader raised a hue and cry, saying the ‘Lakshminarayana-TDP nexus’ was exposed.

Regarding the Mangalagiri seat, there is row over its allotment to the Left parties, as part of the JSP-Left alliance. The CM’s son Nara Lokesh is contesting from the TD for the MLA seat. The YSR Congress is alleging that the JSP has fielded a weak candidate from the constituency , as part of a secret understanding between the JSP and the TDP.